Lewis e



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. E. PIX Grain Conveyer.

No. 241,341. Patenfed May 10,1881.

WITNESSES Z Q IAVW KE/AV'LTOR Wad. By 4 flttorn y I 7 N. PETERS,Photo-Lithognpher. Wasbingion, n. c.

v (No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. R. FIX.

Grain Gonv'eyer.

Pafented May 10, 1881..

N1 PETERS, Photo-lithography, Washington, D c.

NITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

LEWIS R. FIX, OF BURLINGTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRYHARRISON, OF SAME PLACE.

GRAlN-CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 241,341, dated May 10,1881.

Application filed April 9, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEWIS R. FIX, a citizenof the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of DesMoines and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Oonveyers for Elevator-Buildin gs and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to spouts or troughs for conveying grain toelevator-bins; and it consists in valves for opening and closing theopenings in the troughs or spouts which register with the respectivebins, which valves close with their own gravity, and may be opened by acord.

The invention further consists in cords connected with the valves ofeach bin and extending to a common and convenient part of theelevator-building, where they may be designated by numbers, orotherwise, to correspond with similar numbers or marks on the bins, sothat a person at their common union may open the valve or valves todischarge grain into either bin, as desired, in a distant part of thebuildmg.

The invention further consists in constructions and combinationshereinafter described, and set forth in the claims hereto annexed.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, and inwhich similar letters, used as marks of reference, apply to the likeparts in all the figures, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of agrain-elevator building embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is an enlargedtransverse sectional elevation of the graintrough in the line 00 a; inFig. 3. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation in the line 3 y inFig. 2.

Referring to the drawings by letters, letter A represents part of theframe-work of an ordinary grain-elevator building, and B grainbinslocated therein. The building A may be of any ordinary construction, andthe bins B (No model.)

may be located in any desired or ordinary mannor which permits of atrough or spout, C, leading over a series of the bins. Grain may besupplied to the trough or troughs O in any manner, and may be forcedthrough the trough by a screw-conveyer, by a chain with pushplatesthereon, or in any other manner, or the troughs C may be inclined, sothat the grain will run through the trough by its own gravity. Over eachbin B there is an opening, D, in the bottom of the trough O, which maybe closed by a single valve or door when the bottom of the trough O isflat, and with two valves or doors, E E, when the bottom is V-shaped, orformed of two parts, 0 a, sloping downward and uniting at their adjacentedges, as shown at Fig. 2, or when the bottom is formed of the arc of acircle, ellipse, or any other curve in its cross-section. A hinge, F,connects the upper end of each valve E with the side a of the trough C,so that the valve may be opened, as is shown by dotted lines at Fig. 2.Each valve E fits the opening in the trough in which it is seated, andeach is provided with side flanges,

e, which project over the adjacent walls of the openings in the troughand hold the valve in proper position when closed. An arm, G, extendsfrom each valve outward and is weighted at its outer end, so that itwill tend to keep the valve tightly closed when in its normal position.The bifurcated ends H of a cord, H, are connected one to each arm G of apair of said arms. The cord H passes over a pulley,

I, supported by any suitable part of the frame or other support, andthence downward over pulleys, or in any manner, as may be required, 8 5to a lower room or other suitable place in the elevator-buildin Thecords H from any number of valves which open to difierent bins may bebrought to the same room, where they may be secured in any desiredmanner, and each 9c cord be marked to designate the particular grain-binto the delivery-valves E of which said cord is connected.

In operation the grain is supposed to be flowing or forced through thetrough O, and may be delivered to any bin 13 required by opening thevalves E over said bin. Aperson located where the cords H come togetherat their by gravity, as hereinbefore described.

lower ends may, by drawing on the cord leading to the valves E of anybin desired, thereby open said valves and allow the grain to bedelivered thereto. To hold the valves open the cords may be secured inany desired manner, and to close the valves it is only necessary torelease the cord and allow the "alxe to close Similar valves, operatedsimilarly, may be used to open the communication from the bins to atrough or spout for delivering the grain from the bins to a receiver.

\Vhat I claim as new is- 1. In combination with a grain trough or spout,C, a valve, E, hinged to the side of said spout or trough, and adaptedto swing by its gravity and close an opening in the bottom thereof,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with a grain trough or spout having a bottom V-shapedin its crosssection, valves E, hinged one to each side of said spout andprovided with arms G, which by their gravity close said valves,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The valves E, having flanges e, in combination with the trough (3,having a hole in which the valve seats byits gravity, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

4. In combination with the grain trough or spout having openingsregistering with dilferent grain-bins, valves adapted to close saidopenings, and cords extending to a common or convenient place whereeither cord may be drawn to open the valves to deliver grain to anyparticular bin desired, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

5. In combination with the grain trough or spout and the valves E,having weighted arms G, adapted to close the valves by gravity, thecords H, extending from the valves to a common location where either maybe drawn to open the valves to any desired bin, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

6. In combination with a grain trough or spout having a V-shaped bottom,valves E, hinged one to each side of said trough or spout and providedwith arms G, which close said valves by their gravity, and cords H,connected one with each pair of said valves and extending to aconvenient place where they may be drawn to open the valves,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LE \Vl S R. FIX.

\Vitnesses .T. O. Oseoon, G. M. SoHENoK.

